Friends of God and Prophets

“In Wisdom is a spirit
intelligent, holy, unique,
Manifold, subtle, agile,
clear, unstained, certain,
Not baneful, loving the good, keen,
unhampered, beneficent, kindly,
Firm, secure, tranquil,
all-powerful, all-seeing,
And pervading all spirits,
though they be intelligent, pure and very subtle” (Wisdom 7:22-23).

The daily lectionary readings this past week were taken from the book of Wisdom, and many of us might have missed them as they were read only at weekday Masses, through the Liturgy of the Hours, or in our own private devotional reading. Still, this apocryphal or deuteron-canonical book contains images that might challenge us to enter into the beauty and glory of God.

            Wisdom is personified in the text in the feminine “for she is an aura of the might of God
and a pure effusion of the glory of the Almighty” (Wisdom 7:25). In other words, it is Wisdom that pours out or speaks to us of the glory of God in such a way that we can sense—see, touch, taste, feel, smell, or intuit—the reality of God’s existence.

            Have you met Wisdom today? Who in your life has spoken gently to you or offered a word of kindness in a difficult moment? Have you ever been speechless or stood in awe after hearing something put in a unique and touching way?

            Regardless of what our faith tradition might be, we recognize words of wisdom when they are spoken. Something about wise words touch us deeply in places that we did not even know existed within ourselves.

            Personally, I am fascinated with the gift of Wisdom, for I find in my own life that if I quiet myself enough, I can actually hear the still small voice of God deep within me. Wise words and wise moments help us to journey to God. For when we recognize the beauty of such life-giving moments, we are stopped in our tracks in order to move in a direction that is more life-filled.

            It is comforting to know that it is God that is moving, changing, and generating new life in us. God’s wisdom is “passing into holy souls from age to age … produc[ing] friends of God and prophets” (Wisdom 7:27). The challenge, then, is to open ourselves to the life that God is offering each of us in a unique way.

            Where and how is God calling you today? Let us be grateful in these upcoming weeks for the good gifts God is always giving to us—our family, our friendships, the gift of faith, an opportunity to grow in wisdom and knowledge, and the manifold other gifts that are unique to your own personal life.

            Thanks be to God for the invitation to live in the company of the Holy Trinity, who we come to know through the circumstances and people present in our ordinary lives. Let us pray that we will have the grace and openness to see the Lord in those we meet today.

Christy Hicks is a Campus Minister in Griesedieck Complex.